KR102320199B1 - Driving unit and robot cleaner having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The driving unit of the present invention and the robot cleaner including the same are installed between the elastic member and the rotating shaft of the driving unit to offset a decrease in elastic force generated when the driving wheel protrudes downward of the robot cleaner when driving on the ground having a step. Disclosed is a configuration for supporting the elastic member so that the formed angle can be provided within a predetermined range. Accordingly, even if the driving wheel is lowered while driving and the elastic force of the elastic member is lowered, a certain level of traction is maintained, thereby maintaining the running performance of the robot cleaner.

Description

Driving unit and robot cleaner having the same

The present invention relates to a driving unit and a robot cleaner having a driving unit, and more particularly, to a structural improvement with respect to the traction force of the driving unit.

In general, a robot cleaner is a device for automatically cleaning an area to be cleaned by sucking foreign substances such as dust from the ground while driving in an area to be cleaned without a user's manipulation.

Such a robot cleaner includes a driving wheel for driving the robot cleaner main body, and the driving wheel drives the robot cleaner main body by using a friction force generated between the driving wheel and the ground in contact.

In order to generate frictional force, a force to press the driving wheel in the direction toward the ground is required, and this is related to the traction force of the robot vacuum cleaner.

In order for the robot vacuum cleaner to have constant running performance on floors with various floor conditions and steps, such as hard floors or carpets, the gripping force of the driving wheels must be kept constant regardless of the ground condition or conditions. .

Conventionally, an elastic member such as a tensile coil spring is used to press the driving wheel in the direction toward the ground. However, the elastic member is driven by changing the elastic force of the elastic member according to the displacement of the driving wheel when driving on the floor where there is a step. There is a serious problem with the difference in the magnitude of the force pressing the wheel. (KR 2014-0000811)

One aspect of the present invention provides an improved driving unit and a robot cleaner including the same so that the gripping force of the driving wheel is not large even if there is a change in the displacement of the driving wheel when driving on the ground where there is a step difference.

A robot cleaner according to the spirit of the present invention includes a main body and a drive unit including a drive wheel for driving the main body. The driving unit includes a housing and a driving motor generating rotational force for driving the driving wheel, a driving arm rotating about a rotation point so that the driving wheel is supported so as to protrude below the main body, and one side of the driving arm and an elastic member supported between a first supporting point and a second supporting point provided in the housing, wherein an angle formed by the rotating point and the second supporting point at the first supporting point is (where the driving arm is rotated) keep an acute angle

In addition, the driving arm rotates between a first position and a second position protruding to the outside of the main body about the rotation point, and the angle formed when the driving arm is in the first position is a first angle, the driving When the angle formed when the arm is in the second position is referred to as a second angle, the first angle has a smaller value than the second angle.

Also, the first angle is 50 degrees or less.

In addition, the second angle is less than or equal to 90 degrees.

In addition, the driving arm includes a support protrusion extending from the driving arm to protrude out of the housing and including the first support point.

In addition, the support protrusion supports one side of the elastic member and is linked to the rotation of the driving arm to change the displacement value of the elastic member.

In addition, the housing includes a support hook including the second support point,

The support hook supports one side of the elastic member.

In addition, the driving wheel has a traction force generated by friction with the ground during driving, and the traction force of the driving wheel is maintained at a constant level both when the driving wheel protrudes to the outside of the main body and when seated inside the main body.

A robot cleaner according to the spirit of the present invention includes a main body and a drive unit including a drive wheel for driving the main body. The driving unit is provided on a driving arm and one side of the driving arm by rotating about a rotation point so that the driving wheel is movably supported to the lower side of the main body, and is fixed with a first support point that moves in association with the driving arm and an elastic member supported between second support points, wherein the second support point is always positioned above the first support point or at least on the same line.

The height at which the first supporting point is located increases while the driving wheel is moved downward of the main body.

In addition, the first support point is a robot cleaner located above the rotation point.

A robot cleaner according to the spirit of the present invention includes a main body and a drive unit including a drive wheel for driving the main body. The driving unit is provided on one side of the driving arm and the driving arm by rotating about a rotation point such that a driving motor generating a rotational force for driving the driving wheel and the driving wheel are supported so as to protrude downwardly of the main body. and an elastic member supported between a first support point that moves interlocked with the arm and a second support point that is fixed, and a first straight line connecting the first support point and the second support point and the first straight line at the rotation point is perpendicular to the first straight line In the second straight line in contact with the first straight line while forming have

Also, the length of the second straight line has a maximum value at the second position when the wheel rotates between the first position about the rotation point and the second position protruding out of the main body.

In addition, the length of the second straight line is extended while the driving wheel protrudes to the lower side of the main body.

In addition, the driving unit further includes a housing in which the driving wheel, the driving motor, and the driving arm are seated, and the rotation point and the second support point are provided inside the housing.

In addition, the driving arm includes a support protrusion extending from the driving arm to protrude out of the housing and including the first support point.

In addition, the support protrusion supports one side of the elastic member and is linked to the rotation of the driving arm to change the displacement value of the elastic member.

In addition, the housing includes a support hook including the second support point,

The support hook supports one side of the elastic member.

In addition, an angle formed by the rotation point and the second support point about the first support point maintains an acute angle while the driving arm rotates.

In addition, the driving arm rotates between a first position and a second position protruding to the outside of the main body about the rotation point, and the angle formed when the driving arm is in the first position is a first angle, the driving When the angle formed when the arm is in the second position is referred to as a second angle, the first angle has a smaller value than the second angle.

The driving unit mounted on the robot cleaner according to the spirit of the present invention and driving the robot cleaner includes a housing, a driving wheel for driving the main body, a driving motor for generating a rotational force for driving the driving wheel, and the driving wheel in a first position and an elastic member supported between a driving arm and a first support point provided on one side of the drive arm and a second support point provided on the housing by rotating the rotation point as an axis so as to be movably supported between the second position, and , an angle formed by the rotation point and the second support point about the first support point increases while the drive arm moves from the first position to the second position.

The drive unit of the present invention and the robot cleaner including the same improve the support point of the elastic member with respect to the elastic force of the elastic member that is changed according to the displacement of the driving wheel, and compensate the changed elastic force through the support point, so that the robot cleaner has a step floor The efficiency of the robot vacuum can be improved because it can continuously and stably operate when operating on a surface.

1 is a perspective view showing an exterior of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a plan view illustrating a state in which the outer housing and the upper housing of the second upper housing of the robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention are removed.
3 is an outer housing of a first upper housing of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; It is a plan view showing a state in which the outer housing of the second upper housing is removed.
4 is an exploded perspective view of a partial configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5A is a view showing a side surface of a robot cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5B is a view illustrating a side surface of the robot cleaner when the driving wheel of the robot cleaner protrudes downward according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a perspective view of a lower housing of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view of a driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an exploded perspective view of a partial configuration of a driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a view showing a side view of a partial configuration of a driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a view illustrating a side view of a partial configuration of the driving unit when the driving wheel of the driving unit protrudes downward according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a perspective view of a partial configuration of a driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a perspective view of a partial configuration of the driving unit when the driving wheel of the driving unit protrudes downward according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration related to a traction force of a driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration related to the traction force of the driving unit when the driving wheel of the driving unit partially protrudes downward according to an embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration related to the traction force of the driving unit when the driving wheels of the driving unit protrude downward according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The driving unit 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be installed in the robot cleaner 1 . In addition, the driving unit 600 may be installed in other robots or moving devices driven by driving wheels in addition to the robot cleaner 1 . Hereinafter, it is assumed that the driving unit 600 is installed in the robot cleaner 1 and the driving unit 600 and the robot cleaner 600 including the same will be described.

1 is a perspective view showing an exterior of a robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the robot cleaner 1 includes a main body forming an outer appearance and an upper housing 100 forming at least a portion of the main body outer appearance.

The upper housing 100 includes a first upper housing 200 formed in the front and a second upper housing 300 formed in the rear of the first upper housing 200 . A connection member 400 connecting the first upper housing 200 and the second upper housing 300 may be positioned between the first upper housing 200 and the second upper housing 300 .

A dust collecting unit 330 configured to store dust may be coupled to the second upper housing 300 . The dust collecting unit 330 may include a suction motor 320 that provides power to suck dust and a dust collector 310 that stores the sucked dust.

The dust collecting container 310 may be provided with a gripper 311 provided to be gripped by a user. The user can separate the dust collector 310 from the second upper housing 300 by rotating the dust collector 310 by holding the gripper 311 . By removing the dust collector 310 , the user can remove accumulated dust in the dust collector 310 .

A lower housing 500 provided to be coupled downwardly with the second upper housing 300 may be provided at a lower portion of the second upper housing 300 . A driving unit 600 for driving the main body may be provided in the lower housing 500 . The driving unit 600 may include a driving wheel 610 for driving the main body, and a roller 510 (refer to FIG. 5 ) provided to be rotatable in order to minimize the driving load of the main body. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving wheel 610 may be coupled to both sides of the lower housing 500 .

A brush unit (not shown) configured to sweep up dust on the floor may be provided in the first upper housing 200 . A bumper 210 may be coupled to the front portion of the first upper housing 200 to alleviate noise and impact generated by the robot cleaner 1 hitting a wall when the robot cleaner 1 is running. In addition, a separate buffer member 215 may be coupled to the bumper 210 .

An entry blocking sensor 235 may be provided on the upper surface of the first upper housing 200 to protrude. The entry blocking sensor 235 may prevent the robot cleaner 1 from entering a predetermined section by detecting infrared rays. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the entry blocking sensor 235 may be provided on both sides of the first upper housing 200 .

2 is a plan view illustrating a state in which the outer housing 301 ( FIG. 4 ) and the upper surface housing 303 ( FIG. 4 ) of the second upper housing 300 of the robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention are removed. 3 is an outer housing 301, an upper housing 303, and a dust collector 310 of the first upper housing 200 and the second upper housing 200 of the robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. ), a plan view showing a state in which the suction motor cover (302, FIG. 5) is removed.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , a power supply unit 350 for supplying power for driving the main body may be coupled to the inside of the second upper housing 300 .

The power unit 350 may include a battery (not shown), a main board 351 , and a display unit (not shown) positioned above the main board 351 and displaying the state of the robot cleaner 1 . have. The power unit 350 may be disposed to be positioned at the rear of the dust collecting unit 330 .

The battery (not shown) is provided as a rechargeable secondary battery, and when the main body completes the cleaning process and is coupled to the docking station (not shown), it is charged by receiving power from the docking station (not shown).

The suction motor 320 may be located inside the suction motor cover 302 ( FIG. 5 ). The suction motor 320 may be coupled to the side of the dust collector 310 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving wheel 340 may be disposed on each side of the dust collector 310 and the suction motor 320 .

That is, the driving wheel 340 includes a first driving wheel 341 and a second driving wheel 342 , and the first driving wheel 341 is disposed on the side of the dust collector 310 , and the second driving wheel 342 . ) may be disposed on the side of the suction motor 320 .

Accordingly, the dust collector 310 , the suction motor 320 , and the driving wheel 340 may be disposed in the transverse direction of the main body. That is, the dust collector 310 , the suction motor 320 , and the driving wheel 340 may be disposed close to a straight line.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the dust collector 310 may be coupled to be exposed to the outside. That is, a separate housing is not coupled to the upper surface of the dust collector 310 . Accordingly, the user can visually check the amount of dust inside the dust collector 310 .

A cyclone 370 may be installed inside the dust collector 310 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the cyclone 370 may be disposed inside the dust collector 310 adjacent to the suction motor 320 . In addition, the second upper housing 300 may include a dust collector installation part 312 in which the dust collector 310 is installed.

An obstacle detecting sensor 230 for detecting an obstacle may be provided inside the first upper housing 200 .

The front portion of the first upper housing 200 may be provided in a rectangular shape so as to be in close contact with the front and side surfaces of the first upper housing 200 to suck dust. Thus, it is possible to inhale the dust by adhering to the wall as much as possible. Accordingly, the robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can efficiently suck the dust located on the wall without a separate side brush.

4 is an exploded view showing the components of the second upper housing 300 of the robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The second upper housing 300 may include an upper housing 303 coupled thereto, and a rear housing 343 coupled from the rear of the second upper housing 300 to the driving wheel 340 .

In the case of the upper housing 303 , an area corresponding to the display unit 352 may be opened so that a state displayed on the display unit 352 may be projected. The dust collector 310 may be coupled to the upper housing 303 . A separate outer housing 301 coupled to the upper portion of the power unit 350 may be coupled to the outside of the upper housing 303 . The outer housing 301 may be provided so that the state of the display unit 352 can be projected.

In addition, the suction motor cover 302 may be coupled to the upper portion of the suction motor 320 . The suction motor 320 may be coupled to the second upper housing 300 , the upper housing 303 may be fitted, and the suction motor cover 302 may be coupled to the upper housing 303 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, the suction motor cover 302 is coupled to prevent foreign substances from entering the suction motor 320 because the outer housing 301 does not surround the area where the suction motor 320 is located. do.

After the first driving wheel 341 and the second driving wheel 342 are coupled to both sides of the second upper housing 300, the rear housing 343 is coupled to surround each of the driving wheels 341 and 342. can

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the space can be efficiently used by efficiently arranging the components of the robot cleaner 1 . Accordingly, it is possible to increase the size of the dust collector 310,

5A is a view showing a side surface of the robot cleaner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5A , the heights of the bottom surface G1 and the first upper housing 200 and the heights of the bottom surface and the second upper housing 300 may be different. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the height between the bottom surface and the first upper housing 200 may be smaller than the height between the bottom surface and the second upper housing 300 . Since the height of the first upper housing 200 is smaller than the height of the second upper housing 300, the size of the dust collector 310 and the power unit 350 located in the second upper housing 300 is increased while the robot cleaner ( It gives the effect of making the size of 1) appear relatively small. Accordingly, the capacity of the dust that can be stored by the miniaturized robot cleaner 1 can be increased, and the time during which it can be driven without additional charging can be increased.

In addition, since the height of the first upper housing 200 is provided relatively low, it is possible to efficiently detect an obstacle located on the floor surface, thereby preventing the occurrence of a blind spot that the obstacle detection sensor 230 cannot detect. can

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connecting member 400 is coupled between the first upper housing 200 and the second upper housing 300, but is not limited thereto. It is also possible to be integrally injection-molded without a separate boundary between the two upper housings 300 . In this case, the first upper housing 200 and the second upper housing 300 may have a shape close to a streamlined shape.

5B is a view showing a side view of the robot cleaner 1 in a state in which the driving wheel 610 of the robot cleaner 1 protrudes downward according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The robot vacuum cleaner 1 may pass a floor with a step while driving. For example, when climbing a slope having a predetermined angle with the ground, crossing an obstacle, or passing through a curved line having a depth downward from the ground, this corresponds to the case.

When there is a step with the ground, the driving wheel 610 may be in a state where driving is impossible because friction with the ground is not generated due to a raised shape in which the driving wheel 610 is separated from the ground. Therefore, the robot cleaner 1 may be provided such that the driving wheels 610 protrude downward of the robot cleaner 1 in order to maintain a state in which the driving wheels 610 are in contact with the ground during driving.

As shown in FIG. 5B , the robot cleaner 1 protrudes downward, and the driving wheel 610 continuously protrudes downward even when the running surface is lowered by the G3 level on the general running ground G1, so that it can be driven continuously in contact with the ground. have.

However, even in a state in which the driving wheel 610 is protruded, the traction force that presses the driving wheel 610 toward the ground as much as when the driving wheel 610 is in a general position must be maintained to have a certain driving performance. The description of the traction force of the robot cleaner 1 will be described in detail below along with the configuration of the driving unit 600 .

Hereinafter, the driving unit 600 located on the right side with respect to the forward direction of the robot cleaner 1 will be described as an example, and the contents described below are based on the forward direction of the robot cleaner 1 unless otherwise specified. The same applies to the driving unit 100 located on the left side of the .

6 is a perspective view of a lower housing of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. is an exploded perspective view of some components of the driving unit according to an embodiment of the

As shown in FIG. 6 , the driving unit 600 may be provided in the lower housing 500 . In detail, it may be provided on both sides of the lower housing 500 .

The lower housing 500 may be provided with a seating part (not shown) on which the driving unit 600 is mounted, and in particular, a driving motor seating part 520 on which the driving motor 650 is mounted.

The driving unit 600 is detachably provided with the lower housing 500 so that it can be easily separated when a problem occurs in driving the robot cleaner 1 while driving. In particular, the driving motor 650 can be easily separated from the driving motor seating part 520 .

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the driving unit 600 includes a driving wheel 610 and a housing 620 covering the configuration of the driving unit 600 such as the driving wheel 610 and a driving motor generating driving force. 650 and the driving motor 650 transmit elastic force to the driving arm 630 and the driving wheel 610 that support the driving motor 650 so as to protrude downward of the robot cleaner 1 to thereby transmit the elastic force to the robot cleaner (1). It may include an elastic member 640 for generating a traction force.

The driving wheel 610 may be rotatably supported by the driving arm 630 as the driving shaft 611 of the driving wheel 610 is assembled to the driving wheel assembly groove 631 of the driving arm 630 .

The driving arm 630 may be provided to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 633 located at the center of the rotation protrusion 632 . A driving motor assembly unit 634 is provided at one side of the driving arm 630 so that one side of the driving motor 650 may be inserted into the driving arm 630 .

The driving motor assembly unit 634 may be provided in an annular column shape to extend to one side of the driving arm 630 to protrude.

The outer circumferential surface of the driving motor assembly unit 634 may be rotatably supported by the driving arm seating unit 621 that is circularly cut in the housing 620 .

The drive shaft 651 that transmits the rotational force generated by the drive motor 650 is positioned inside the drive arm 630 through the drive motor assembly unit 634 and a gear unit (not shown) provided inside the drive arm 630 . ) can transmit rotational force.

The gear unit (not shown) may transmit the rotational force transmitted through the drive shaft 651 to the drive wheel assembly groove 631 to rotate the drive wheel 610 .

Unlike the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the drive motor 650 may not be directly inserted into the drive arm 630 , but only the drive shaft 651 may be inserted into the drive arm 630 .

The rotating protrusion 632 may be provided to extend to the other shaft of the driving arm 630 in a cylindrical shape. The rotating protrusion 632 may be rotatably supported by being inserted into an auxiliary housing (not shown) provided on the protruding side.

The rotating protrusion 632 may be provided to correspond to the central axis of the driving motor assembly unit 634 . In detail, the rotation protrusion 632 and the drive motor 650 may be provided to correspond to the axial direction of the drive shaft 651 , which can be viewed as a rotation shaft.

Accordingly, the central axis of the driving motor assembly unit 634 and the rotation axis 633 may be provided to coincide with each other.

The driving arm 630 includes a housing 620 and an auxiliary housing (not shown) in which a driving motor assembly part 634 protruding to one side of the driving arm 630 and a rotating protrusion 632 protruding to the other side of the driving arm 630, respectively. city) and may be rotated about the rotation shaft 633 .

The driving arm 630 may be rotated downward of the robot cleaner 1 according to the direction of gravity. The driving arm 630 may be rotated downward of the robot cleaner 1 until the lower surface 636 of the driving arm 630 comes into contact with the driving arm support 530 provided on the lower side of the lower housing 500 . .

The driving wheel 610 may protrude downward of the robot cleaner 1 by interlocking with the rotated displacement of the driving arm 630 as described above.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the driving unit 600 includes an elastic member 640 supported between a support protrusion 635 extending to one side of the driving arm 630 and a support hook 625 positioned in the housing 620 . may include.

The elastic member 640 may serve to continuously press the driving wheel 610 to improve the traction of the driving wheel 610 .

One side of the elastic member 640 is supported by a support protrusion 635 that moves in association with the rotation of the driving arm 630 , and the other side of the elastic member 640 is provided in the housing 620 of the driving arm 630 . It may be supported by the support hook 625 having a constant displacement during rotation.

As the displacement of the support protrusion 635 is changed, the length of the elastic member 640 is changed as the length of the elastic member 640 is changed when the driving arm 630 rotates, so that the elastic force of the elastic member 640 may be changed. .

The housing 620 may include a housing assembly part 622 extending from one side of the lower end of the housing 500 to the outside of the side so that the housing 620 may be seated and assembled on the lower housing 500 .

The housing assembly 622 may be coupled to the lower housing 500 including a hollow by a screw penetrating the hollow, or may extend upward to correspond to the hollow of the housing assembly 622 in the lower housing 500 . A protrusion (not shown) may be coupled through the hollow.

Unlike the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the housing assembly unit 622 may be provided in plurality. When provided adjacent to the support protrusion 635 among the single or plurality of housing assembly parts 622 , it may be provided outside the rotation radius of the support protrusion 635 so as not to interfere with the rotation of the support protrusion 635 .

Due to the change in the elastic force of the elastic member 640, the traction force of the driving wheel 610 is not constant, which will be described later.

9 is a view illustrating a side view of a partial configuration of a driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a partial configuration of the driving unit when the driving wheel of the driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention protrudes downward. 11 is a perspective view of a partial configuration of a driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a driving unit when the driving wheel of the driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention protrudes downward. is a perspective view of some configuration of For convenience of description, the driving wheel 610 and the housing 620 are indicated by dotted lines in the drawing.

9 and 11 show the shape of the driving unit 600 in a state in which the driving wheel 610 does not protrude. The driving wheel 610 is inserted adjacent to the inner side of the housing 620 and may be pressed by the elastic member 640 .

10 and 12 show the shape of the driving unit 600 when the driving wheel 610 protrudes downward of the robot cleaner 1 .

The driving arm 630 includes a driving wheel assembly part 631 and a driving wheel assembly part disposed on the left side of the rotation shaft 632 when viewed from the side of the bar driving unit 600 rotating around the rotation shaft 633 ( The driving wheel 610 supported by the 631 may move downward of the robot cleaner 1 .

In detail, the driving arm 633 is rotated in the direction of gravity to rotate the driving arm 630 in the counterclockwise direction, and accordingly, the driving wheel 610 provided on the left side of the rotating shaft 630 moves to the lower side of the robot cleaner 1 . Conversely, the support protrusion 635 provided on the right side of the rotation shaft 633 and one side of the elastic member 640 supported on one side of the support protrusion 635 may be moved upward of the robot cleaner 1 .

When comparing FIGS. 9 and 10 , the length ( ) of the elastic member in the state before the driving wheel 610 protrudes may be longer than the length ( ) of the elastic member when the driving wheel 610 protrudes.

As the driving arm 633 rotates, one side supported by the support protrusion 635 in the elastic member 640 rises, and the distance from the elastic member 640 to the other side supported by the support hook 625 is reduced, thereby reducing the elastic member 640. ) because the length () decreases.

Hereinafter, the support protrusion 635 will be described in detail in relation to the traction force ( ) and the traction force ( ) of the driving wheel 610 .

13 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration related to the traction force of the driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a view showing the drive when the driving wheel of the driving unit according to the embodiment of the present invention partially protrudes downward. It is a view schematically showing a configuration related to the traction force of the unit, and FIG. 15 is a view schematically showing a configuration related to the traction force of the driving unit when the driving wheel of the driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention protrudes downward. am.

As described above, for stable driving of the robot cleaner 1 , the traction force ( ) of the driving wheel 610 must be constant.

The traction force ( ) is a force pressed toward the ground, and roughly according to the mass of the driving wheel 610 , the gravity acceleration value ( ) for the mass of the driving wheel 610 is a reference point at which the driving wheel 610 moves downward. The torque value multiplied by the vertical distance ( ) to the rotation point (A) present on (633) and the elastic force ( ) of the elastic member 640 pressing the driving wheel 610 and the vertical distance to the rotation point (A) It may be the sum of torque values multiplied by (hereinafter referred to as a second straight line).

The grip force () can be expressed as = (* ) + (* ).

The torque value (*) of the gravitational acceleration due to the mass of the driving wheel 610 is constant.

The mass of the driving wheel 610 is constant, and as the driving wheel 610 protrudes, the displacement value of the driving arm 630 in contact with the driving wheel 610 changes, so the total center of gravity (g) value of the driving wheel 610 This may change, but the change is negligible.

That is, the traction force ( ) may vary depending on the value of (*).

13 to 15, as the driving wheel 610 protrudes, the length of the elastic member 640 changes, so that the elastic force ( ) of the elastic member 640 changes, and the torque value (* ) according to the elastic force ( ) is The total traction force ( ) of the changing bar driving wheel 610 may be changed.

In detail, the first supporting point B provided on the driving arm 630 and supporting one side of the elastic member 640 and the second supporting point (B) provided on the housing 620 and supporting the other side of the elastic member 640 ( When there is a first straight line (X) connecting between C) and corresponding to the length of the elastic member, the first straight line (X) decreases the length of the first straight line (X) when the driving wheel 610 moves downward. can do.

As the driving arm 630 rotates counterclockwise, the driving wheel 610 located on the left side of the rotation point A descends and the first support point B located on the right side of the rotation point A of the driving arm 630 . ) is increased, and the difference (h) between the heights of the first support point (B) and the second support point (C) is reduced, and the length of the first straight line (X) is reduced in conjunction with this.

When the driving wheel 610 protrudes to the lower side of the robot cleaner 1, the elasticity ( When the amount of change in the total torque value of the elastic force ( ) may be maintained at a certain level.

Accordingly, when the length value of the second straight line ( ) increases while the driving wheel 610 protrudes downward of the robot cleaner 1 , it is possible to prevent the traction force ) of the driving wheel 610 from being rapidly reduced.

A third straight line (Y) connecting the rotation point (A) and the first support point (B), and the angle formed by the first straight line (X) and the third straight line (Y) at the first support point (B) be In this case, the second straight line ( ) may have a value of = Y *.

The second support point C is located on the housing 620, the first support point B is located on the rotatably provided driving arm 630, and the rotation point A is located on the rotation shaft of the driving arm 630. The rotation point (A) and the second support point (C) do not have a change in the displacement value while the driving wheel 610 is protruding, so the value may change according to the movement of the first support point (B).

While the driving wheel 610 protrudes downward, the first support point B rotates counterclockwise around the rotation point A, and the value is increased by interlocking with it as it approaches the second support point C. .

When the value is maintained between 0 and 90 degrees, that is, an acute angle while the driving arm 630 rotates, the value may continue to increase while the driving wheel 610 protrudes downward.

Therefore, while the driving wheel 610 descends, the elastic force ( ) of the elastic member 640 decreases, while the value increases in the section where the value forms an acute angle, thereby maintaining a similar traction force ( ) at a certain level.

Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention designed to improve the traction force ( ) when the driving wheel 610 protrudes, the first support point B and the second support point C are formed while the driving wheel 610 protrudes. The value may be provided to form an acute angle.

In detail, while the value is maintained at the acute angle, the value formed in a state in which it does not protrude from the driving wheel 610 as shown in FIG. 13 is formed as the driving wheel 610 protrudes to the lower side of the robot cleaner 1 and the driving wheel 610 is formed. ) may be provided with a value smaller than the value formed when the protrusion is finished.

While the driving wheel 610 is protruding, the length of the first straight line ( ) is reduced than the length of the first straight line ( , ) while the driving wheel 610 is protruded. This is to increase the value while the wheel 610 protrudes.

In addition, when the protrusion of the driving wheel 610 is finished, the length of the first straight line ( ) is shaped to the shortest distance, and the value of the elastic force ( ) becomes the lowest value. have.

The value is provided in the range of the acute angle as described above, and the maximum value of the bar may be 90 degrees.

Therefore, while the driving wheel 610 moves downward, the value is provided in an acute angle range and may be always provided to be << value. Preferably, the value may be provided within 50 degrees.

The value can be adjusted through the extended length and angle of the support protrusion 625, which will be described later. However, an appropriate value may be set according to the volume of the lower housing 500 on which the driving unit 600 is seated.

When viewed based on the second straight line (), as the value increases, the total torque value (* ) increases. The second straight line ( ) may be provided to increase in length while the driving wheel 610 moves downward. have.

Accordingly, the length of the second straight line ( ) may be provided such that it is always < < value.

While the driving wheel 610 protrudes, the second support point C may always be provided at a position higher than the first support point B. As the driving wheel 610 protrudes, the second straight line ( ) protrudes when the protrusion of the driving wheel 610 to be provided at a position higher than the first supporting point B is finished. This is because, when formed in the middle, it may be smaller than the length of the second straight line ().

For the same purpose, while the driving wheel 610 protrudes, the first support point B may always be provided at a position higher than the rotation point A.

The elastic member 640 may be supported by the support protrusion 635 on one side and the support hook 625 on the other side. Accordingly, the first support point B may be positioned on the support protrusion 635 , and the second support point C may be positioned on the support hook 625 .

In detail, the support protrusion 635 may be provided to extend to the opposite side to the driving wheel assembly groove 631 about the rotating shaft (A). Also, a hook-shaped groove may be provided in the support protrusion 635 to support one side of the elastic member 640 .

One side of the elastic member 640 may be assembled into a hook-shaped groove and supported by the support protrusion 635 , and the first support point B may be provided on the side of the hook-shaped groove in contact with the elastic member 640 .

The value and the length of the second straight line ( ) are determined by the first support point (B). The value of the support protrusion 635 maintains an acute angle and at the same time the value increases while the driving wheel 610 protrudes. One support point (B) may be provided to be located.

The support protrusion 625 continuously receives a tensile force from the elastic member 640 by the elastic force, and thus a certain amount of rigidity may be required to withstand the tensile force. Therefore, the support protrusion 625 may be provided with a predetermined thickness in order to maintain a predetermined amount of rigidity. The thickness of the support protrusion 625 may be varied to correspond to the elastic force of the elastic member 625 .

For the miniaturization of the robot cleaner 1, the area of the upper and lower housings 100 and 500 excluding the dust collecting part of the robot cleaner 1 is reduced, so that the space between the components seated on the lower housing 500 may be narrow.

At this time, if the thickness of the support protrusion 625 is increased to maintain rigidity, a problem may occur in which a section in which the support protrusion 625 is rotated is limited in a narrow space.

Therefore, in order to provide the support protrusion 625 in a narrow space, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and the support protrusion 625 may be provided with a steel member capable of maintaining high rigidity with a small thickness.

That is, the support protrusion 625 is not formed integrally with the driving arm 630 , but is provided as a separate steel member and may be coupled to the driving arm 630 .

When the support protrusion 625 is provided as a steel member, the thickness of the support protrusion 625 is reduced to be rotatably linked to the driving arm 630 without interference between the components provided in close contact with the lower housing 500 . can be provided.

An assembly part (not shown) to which the support protrusion 625 is assembled is provided on one side of the driving arm 630 so that the support protrusion 625 may be fixed, and may be coupled and supported by a screw member (not shown).

The support hook 625 may be provided to extend from the housing 620 to one side to protrude. A hook-shaped groove may be provided in the support hook 625 to support the other side of the elastic member 640 . The other side of the elastic member 640 may be assembled into a hook-shaped groove and supported by the support hook 635 , and the second support point B may be provided on a hook-shaped groove side in contact with the elastic member 640 .

Unlike the support protrusion 625 , the support hook 625 is provided in the housing 620 when the driving arm 630 is rotated to support the elastic member 640 without movement of its position.

In the above, specific embodiments have been shown and described. However, it is not limited only to the above-described embodiments, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains can make various changes without departing from the spirit of the invention described in the claims below. .

1: robot cleaning 100: upper housing
200: first upper housing 210: bumper
300: second upper housing 301: outer housing
302: suction motor cover 303: upper housing
310: dust collector 311: grip part
320: suction motor 330: dust collection unit
343: rear housing 350: power unit
351: main board 352: display unit
400: connecting member 500: lower housing
510: roller 520: driving motor seating part
530: drive arm support 600: drive unit
610: drive wheel 611: drive shaft
620: housing 621: driving arm seating part
625: support hook 630: drive arm
631: driving wheel assembly groove 632: rotating projection
633: rotation shaft 634: drive motor assembly part
635: support projection 636: lower side
640: elastic member 650: drive motor
651: drive shaft A: rotation point
B: 1st support point C: 2nd support point
X: 1st straight line Y: 3rd straight line
r: second straight line

Claims (21)

body; and
Including; a drive unit including a drive wheel for driving the main body;
The drive unit is
housing; and
a driving motor that generates a rotational force for driving the driving wheel; and
a driving arm that rotates about a rotation point so that the driving wheel is supported so as to protrude downwardly of the main body; and
and an elastic member supported between a first support point provided on one side of the driving arm and a second support point provided on the housing;
An angle formed by the rotation point and the second support point at the first support point is a robot cleaner that maintains an acute angle while the driving arm rotates. The method of claim 1,
The driving arm rotates between a first position and a second position protruding outside the main body around the rotation point,
When the angle formed when the driving arm is in the first position is a first angle and the angle formed when the driving arm is in the second position is referred to as a second angle, the first angle is the second angle A robot vacuum cleaner with a smaller value. 3. The method of claim 2,
The first angle is less than 50 degrees robot cleaner. 3. The method of claim 2,
The second angle is less than 90 degrees robot cleaner. The method of claim 1,
and the driving arm extends from the driving arm to protrude out of the housing and includes a support protrusion including the first support point. 6. The method of claim 5,
The support protrusion supports one side of the elastic member and is linked to rotation of the driving arm to change a displacement value of the elastic member. The method of claim 1,
The housing includes a support hook including the second support point,
The support hook is a robot cleaner for supporting one side of the elastic member. The method of claim 1,
The driving wheel has a traction force generated by friction with the ground when driving,
A robot cleaner in which the gripping force of the driving wheel is maintained at a constant level both when the driving wheel protrudes to the outside of the main body and when seated inside the main body. body; and
Including; a drive unit including a drive wheel for driving the main body;
The drive unit is
a driving arm by rotating about a rotation point so that the driving wheel is movably supported to the lower side of the main body; and
and an elastic member provided on one side of the drive arm and supported between a first support point that moves in association with the drive arm and a second support point that is fixed;
The second supporting point is always located above the first supporting point or at least on the same line. 10. The method of claim 9,
The height at which the first supporting point is located is increased while the driving wheel is moved to the lower side of the main body. 10. The method of claim 9,
The first support point is a robot cleaner located above the rotation point. body; and
Including; a drive unit including a drive wheel for driving the main body;
The drive unit is
a driving motor that generates a rotational force for driving the driving wheel; and
a driving arm by rotating about a rotation point so that the driving wheel is supported so as to protrude to the lower side of the main body; and
an elastic member provided on one side of the driving arm and supported between a first support point that moves in association with the drive arm and a second support point that is fixed;
In a first straight line connecting the first support point and the second support point and a second straight line in contact with the first straight line while forming a right angle with the first straight line at the rotation point,
The length of the second straight line is
A robot cleaner having a larger value when the driving wheel protrudes downward of the main body than when the driving wheel is seated on the main body. 13. The method of claim 12,
The length of the second straight line is
A robot cleaner having a maximum value at the second position when the driving arm rotates between a first position and a second position protruding to the outside of the main body around the rotation point. 13. The method of claim 12,
The length of the second straight line is
A robot cleaner in which the length is extended while the driving wheel protrudes downward of the main body. 13. The method of claim 12,
The driving unit further includes a housing in which the driving wheel, the driving motor, and the driving arm are seated,
A robot cleaner in which the rotation point and the second support point are provided inside the housing. 16. The method of claim 15,
and the driving arm extends from the driving arm to protrude out of the housing and includes a support protrusion including the first support point. 17. The method of claim 16,
The support protrusion supports one side of the elastic member and is linked to rotation of the driving arm to change a displacement value of the elastic member. 16. The method of claim 15,
The housing includes a support hook including the second support point,
The support hook is a robot cleaner for supporting one side of the elastic member. 13. The method of claim 12,
An angle formed by the rotation point and the second support point about the first support point maintains an acute angle while the driving arm rotates. 13. The method of claim 12,
The driving arm rotates between a first position and a second position protruding outside the main body around the rotation point,
When the angle formed when the driving arm is in the first position is a first angle and the angle formed when the driving arm is in the second position is referred to as a second angle, the first angle is smaller than the second angle A robot vacuum cleaner that has value. In the driving unit mounted on the robot cleaner to drive the robot cleaner, the driving unit comprises:
housing; and
a driving wheel for driving the housing; and
a driving motor that generates a rotational force for driving the driving wheel; and
a driving arm by rotating the rotation point as an axis so that the driving wheel is movably supported between the first position and the second position; and
and an elastic member supported between a first support point provided on one side of the driving arm and a second support point provided on the housing;
An angle formed by the rotation point and the second support point with respect to the first support point increases while the drive arm moves from the first position to the second position.

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